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BMW to overtake Mercedes in India by 2009

BMW wants to overtake Mercedes on the fast growing Indian luxury car market in the coming few years. “As we get closer to Mercedes, you can imagine we have in our sight that we want to overtake Mercedes, whether we do it in 2009 or 2010 we will have to see,” said BMW Director Region Asia Pacific David Panton.
Last year, the German car maker sold 1,387 vehicles while it planned to sell 1,000 units. In india since the mid 90’s, Mercedes sold last year 2,491 cars. This year BMW plans to sell 2,000 vehicles built in its factory located in Chennai. Mercedes expects to deliver 3,000 vehicles this year.
David Panton said the Indian customers have accepted the BMW as a luxury brand and he considers the Indian market to be more stable and reliable than the Chinese market.
BMW has invested £15 million in the Chennai factory and plans to open a design center which will give the company the ability of better customization for the emerging market. BMW may also outsource a portion of Rolls Royce design and R&D to India.
February 1, 2008
Maserati might build a 911 competitor

According to insiders, Maserati executives are seriously considering to develop a small coupé set to compete with the Porsche 911.
This doesn’t come as a surprise as the company planned to expand its lineup. Some observers suggested that Maserati would join the SUV fight but his CEO Roberto Ronchi ruled it out in an interview with Reuters because the segment growth is suffering from record-high gas prices and is over crowded. “An SUV model has been ruled out because the segment is declining and is already too crowded,” said Roberto Ronchi.
Instead of a SUV, Maserati plans to make a sports car. Maserati CEO said that “We [Maserati] want to target Porsche with a sports car priced around €80,000 to €90,000,”. A decision will be taken in the first quarter of this year. If given the green light, the small Maserati would be launched 18 to 36 months later. At this early stage, details remain scarce but some observers believe that the small coupé would feature a detuned Maserati 4.2-litre V8 engine limited to 350bhp.
February 1, 2008
Strong third trimester for Suzuki

Suzuki has recorded a strong growth over the period october-december and has posted a better-than-expected 23% jump in quarterly profit thanks to its small models such as the Swift and the SX4 which don’t suffer from the record-high fuel prices.
Suzuki realised an operating profit of £178 million when analysts expected the company to book £168 million. Net profit for the third quarter raised by 20% to £98 million, on a 12% increase in revenue to £5.3 billion.
Suzuki suffered less from the high gas prices than other car makers, but was also helped by its Indian venture with Maruti which recorded 24% rising net profit. On the third trimester, Suzuki increased its global production by 9.9% to 680,000 vehicles. Japan recorded a slow 6.1% increase while overseas sales jumped by 18%.
February 1, 2008
Spyshots: VW Routan

Here are the first spyshots of the VW Routan which will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show. With this minivan, Volkswagen aims at expanding its lineup in the US in order to increase its sales there.
The VW Routan will share its inner structure with the current Chrysler Voyager as former DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen teamed up to reduce production cost. However, the Routan will feature unique exterior and interior styling, and powertrains.
The Routan will be built on the same production line as the Voyager in Canada, so expect Volkswagen to promote this new minivan as its sales won’t suffer from a weak dollar.
Click here to see the whole spyshot
February 1, 2008
Hummer and Holden models to be powered by diesel engines

The Holden Commodore will soon be powered by a diesel engine as GM as agreed to install the 2.9-litre VMM unit in the saloon. This news doesn’t really come as a surprise. Indeed, the Australian CTS will feature this engine when the car hits the showrooms. The surprise comes from the announcement that the Australian Hummer H3 model will also be available with this engine.
The 2.9-litre V6 diesel engine has been co-developed with VM Motori which laos provides engines for Chrysler. It has an output of 250bhp and a torque of 406 lb-ft thanks to a turbocharger. The first diesel-powered Commodore will go on sale within 18 months.
The diesel Commodore and the H3 won’t reach our shores, but the 2.9-litre engine might be featured in the next-generation Saab 9-5 as the Swedish company is part of GM. if there is a more powerful variant of this engine, the next premium saloon might be able to compete with the German clique.
February 1, 2008
The Yes! roadster to be on sale in the U.S.

The Yes! roadster will be sold in the U.S. this year as company plans to display its model at the next Chicago Motor Show.
Despite its characteristics, the Yes! roadster is not British but German. Do not expect a power feast as engineers have focused on weight reduction. The Yes! only weighs 1,960lbs on the scales. Powered by the Audi 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine, the Yes! offers an attractive power-to-weight ratio of 281bhp per tonne.
If you’re still unsatisfied by the figure, the Yes! will be soon offered with a turbocharged engine whose power will reach 355bhp. With a weight of 2,050lbs, the power-to-weight ratio will jump from 281 to 382bhp per tonne. With such figures, the turbocharged Yes! will run the 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds just like the future SL 65 Black Series and will have a top speed of 174mph.
February 1, 2008
Leaked pictures of the Dodge Challenger

Due to be officially unveiled at the next Chicago Motor Show, Leaked pictures of the Dodge Challenger are emerging on Internet. After the front fascia, the latest shots show the aft of the 2008 hottest car on the American market.
At first, the Challenger will be available in a single version, the SRT8 which will cost $37,995/£18,700. it will be powered by a 6.1-litre V8 HEMI whose exact spec remains secret. Rumours talked about a manual transmission, but the SRT8 will finally be equipped with an automatic gearbox. The SRT8 will be followed later by less powerful variants. The entry level will be powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine being hooked up to a four-speed automatic transmission. Between both extremes, the Challenger will have a R/T version which will feature a 5.7-litre petrol unit and a manual or automatic gearbox. It is also rumoured that a bigger engine with a displacement of 6.4-litre would be added on the SRT by 2010.

Only available with three colours, black, silver and orange, the SRT8 will also offers a limited number of options: summer tyres for £25, a multimedia system for £450 and an electric sunroof for £500.

Thanks to a bold design, a well-thought car and a highly competitive price, Dodge appears to hold the aces and the first rush in December confirms that the Challenger might become the new Ford Mustang.
February 1, 2008
Saab to unveil the 9-1 at Geneva

Saab designer Anthony Lo has revealed that Saab will unveil its first compact model,the 9-1, at the Geneva Motor Show.
Set to compete on the premium compact segment, the 9-1 will share its underpinnings with the Vauxhall Astra. Although they share powertrains and suspension layout, the small Saab will have a unique exterior and interior styling. The exterior will likely take its design cues from the Aero X Concept. It is unknown if Saab will offer a three door and/or a five door variants.
Under the bonnet, the information remains scarce at this stage although some observers believe the 9-1 will feature small turbocharged engines such as a 1.4-litre petrol unit.
The future 9-1 is critical to the company’s ambition of increasing its global sales. Indeed, the car will reinforce and aged lineup which is struggling to survive among an increasing competition from premium car makers but also from generalists.
February 1, 2008
Bugatti Veryron is the Tata Nano of Dubai

Dubai might become the best place in the world to cross the path of a Bugatti Veyron as the emirate hosts 12% of the global production.
Indeed, there are 15 Veyron registered on the 125 units built until now. With 1.5 million inhabitants, it means that there is one Bugatti Veyron for 100,000 people. The comparison is biased but this will be roughly the ration for the Tata Nano in India.In a word, the Veyron is the local Tata Nano.
February 1, 2008
BMW to raise its Chinese production

With a goal to sell 2 million vehicles annually by 2020, BMW has to go where the growth is: in China. After a 42% sales increase last year, the german car maker has announced it will raise its local production by 45% over the next few months.
The current production of 30,000 vehicles will be raised to 44,000 vehicles in the Shenyang factory owned by BMW and the Chinese car maker Brilliance. Chinese media have also reported that the venture planned to build a second factory capable of making 20,000 vehicles per year.The Chinese plant produces the 3-Series and the 5-Series models although BMW sells the whole range on the Chinese market.
Last year, BMW sold 51,588 cars there and expect a similar growth for 2008.
February 1, 2008